The Brooklyn Nets Can’t Be Thankful For “Nets.com” Re-Routing You To The Knicks’ Website

Jordan Rabinowitz

8:50 pm, November 22nd, 2012

Despite the Brooklyn Nets’ best efforts to rebrand themselves, their cyber presence has hit a New York-sized snag. Have you typed “Nets.com” into your web browser lately? It most definitely will not take you to your beloved Brooklyn team’s web home, but something completely different.

Yes, typing and entering “Nets.com” will route you to the New York Knicks’ official website. What’s the reason for this cyber trickery and URL madness? Well, it might have something to do with Mark Cuban, which of course is the least surprising thing ever. Cuban and Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov have been kinda, sorta feuding since Prokhorov claimed he would fight Cuban if he tried to snag Deron Williams away from the Nets.

All (sound) reports say there’s no way Cuban has rights to this domain, and by proxy no way to poison the Nets’ well. Via Ball Don’t Lie:

People are saying that Mark Cuban bought Nets.com to mess with his newest rival, but there is absolutely no way that’s the case. One, the WhoIs data shows the site to be in the hands of Cyber Mesa Computer Systems, who have owned the site since 1994 and will continue to own it until 2014. Two, the site is in broken English and Russian, which means a) there’s no way it was Mark Cuban unless this is a too-clever part of the ruse and b) it was probably a Russian. Three, the reference to “Vilena” is something that’s virtually impossible to find on the internet and would therefore have to come from someone who paid attention to the scandal when it was happening (i.e. a Russian). Four, the link on the top right goes to the Russian version of the Nets’ website. Just a hunch — this was the work of a Russian who likes making jokes (possibly Andrei Kirilenko).

So maybe Mark hasn’t been meddling, but it’s always fun to ponder. Either way, this is frighteningly funny when you think about how much overhaul the Nets have undergone recently and how hard they’ve tried to distance themselves from the Nets of old and the shadow of the New York Knicks. This seems like such a silly, easily fixable oversight that could, in reality, be somewhat debilitating to the Nets’ image, and more importantly, ticket sales.

Have no fear Nets fans, “NBA.com/Nets” and “Brooklynnets.com” will still take you to your favorite team’s website. Much to Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz’s dismay, however, “Manhattanknicks.com” will not take you anywhere.